land. As the Gallican Churches delivered their Psalter to other Churches, so is it reasonable to believe that the Creed was received from them likewise. 4. The oldest version we hear of is Gallican, in the time of Hincmar. 5. The oldest authors that make mention of it are likewise Gallican; for proof of which I refer to the ancient testimonies above. 6. The first that cite the words of it (as it seems) are likewise Gallican. I will here mention two: Avitus of Vienne, in Gaul, and Cæsarius of Arles a. I have set their words in the margin. 7. The oldest commentator upon it, though an Italian by birth and education, had yet travelled into France, and was at length Bishop of Poictiers. 8. The number and antiquity of the manuscripts of this Creed found in France confirm the same thing; which has made several very learned men subscribe to

z The words of Avitus Viennensis, who was Bishop in 490, died in 523:

"De Divinitate Spiritus Sancti, quem nec factum legimus, nec "Nos vero creatum, nec genitum."-In Sirmond., vol. ii. p. 159. Spiritum discimus ex Patre et Filio procedere... Sicut est proprium Spiritui Sancto a Patre Filioque procedere, istud Fides Catholica etiamsi renuentibus non persuaserit, in suæ tamen Disciplinæ Regula non excedit."-Le Quien, Panopl. contr. Schism. Græc., cent. xi. c. 4, § 2, p. 241.

"Non nisi ex eodem Symbolo, quod jam ante receptum esset, Avitus Viennensis alicubi scribebat De Divinitate Sp. S.," &c.Le Quien, Dissert. Damascen., p. 98.

a The words of Cæsarius, who was Bishop in 503, died in 543:"Rogo et admoneo vos, Fratres carissimi, ut Quicunque vult Salvus esse, Fidem rectam et Catholicam discat, firmiter teneat, inviolatamque conservet. . . . Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus et Spiritus Sanctus: sed tamen non tres Dii, sed unus Deus. Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis et Spiritus Sanctus. Attamen credat unusquisque Fidelis quod Filius æqualis est Patri secundum Divinitatem, et minor est Patre secundum humanitatem carnis, quam de nostro assumpsit."-Cæsar. Arelat.; in August., vol. v. App., p. 399.

N.B. The editors of St. Austin adjudge this to Cæsarius; as does also Oudinus, Comment. de Scriptor. Eccl., vol. i. p. 1348.

this opinion, that the Athanasian Creed came first from Gaul. And it is certain that no other country or Church in the world has so fair, I may now say so clear, a pretence to it. Many circumstances concur to make good their title, as we have already seen; and more will appear in my next chapter, when I come to enquire who was the author.

Let it be allowed then, for the present, that our Creed was originally Gallican, and made between 420 and 430. We may next consider, whether we cannot come a little nearer towards fixing the time of its composition. We must point out some season when St. Austin's works were known, and studied, and well esteemed of in Gaul; and when the circumstances of the place might the most probably give occasion for the compiling such a Creed. Now it is observable that, about the year 426, St. Austin held a very close and intimate correspondence with the Gallican Churches. Leporius had for some time spread false doctrine in Gaul, chiefly relating to the Incarnation. His heresy was much the same with what Nestorius's was after

b"Cæterum cum ex allatis supra testimoniis videatur in Galliis primum celebrari cœpisse hoc Symbolum, haud abs re conjectant eruditi viri, in Galliis illud fuisse elucubratum. Quod item forte suadeat antiquissimus ille in Galliis et in Anglia mos Symboli alternatim concinendi; itemque MSS. Gallicanorum copia et antiquitas."-Montfauc., Diatrib., p. 726.

"E. Gallis primum prodiisse Symbolum Athanasianum animad. vertimus, tum quod a Gallis scriptoribus ante omnes celebratum, a Synodis Episcopisque Galliarum receptum, et commendatum antiquitus fuerit, tum etiam quod Treviris in Galliarum Metropoli illud lucubratum fuisse opinio increbuerit. Quapropter Pithoeus, ac Vossius, aliique eruditissimi viri Gallum hominem Symboli parentem opinati sunt; Antelmius vero, hac potissimum ratione ductus, non Vigilium in Africa Episcopum, sed Vincentium Lirinensem Opusculi hujus auctorem affirmavit.". Murator., Anecd., vol. ii. p. 229.

wards. The Gallican bishops censured him; and he was forced to quit his country, having giving general offence to all there. He took his leave of Gaul, and passed over into Africa, with several others of the same party and principles; where lighting upon Aurelius, Bishop of Carthage, and St. Austin, he was by them brought to a sense of his error, and induced to sign a full recantation, called Libellus Satisfactionis; whereupon St. Austin, and Aurelius, and other African bishops, became intercessors with the bishops of Gaul in favour of Leporius, that he might be again received and restored by them. One can scarce imagine any more likely time, or more proper occasion, for the compiling such a Creed as the Athanasian is. All the lines and characters of it suit extremely well with the place, the time, the occasion, and other circumstances, which concur to persuade us that the Creed was, in all probability, composed in Gaul, sometime between the year 426 and the year 430: so that now we are confined to the narrow compass of four or five years, upon the most probable conjecture, and upon such evidences as a case of this nature can admit of, where more cannot be expected.

M

CHAPTER VIII.

OF THE AUTHOR OF THE CREED.

If we have hitherto gone upon sure grounds about the time and place, we cannot long be at a loss for the author of this Creed. Who were the most considerable men, and best qualified for such a work, at that time in Gaul? Antelmius will point out Vincentius Lirinensis. But I have several reasons to persuade me that it was not, or could not be, Vincentius. No contemporary of his, nor any ancient writer, ever gives the least hint of his composing such a work. Antelmius supposes it to be after his Commonitory, that is, after 434; which if it had been, we should undoubtedly have found the Creed more particular and explicit against the Nestorian heresy: we should have read in it Mother of God, One Son only, and something of God's being born, suffering, dying, or the like; it cannot, therefore, be justly ascribed to Vincentius. Not to mention that such a work appears to have been much fitter for a bishop of a church, than for a private presbyter; inasmuch as bishops generally were obliged to give an account of their faith upon their first entrance upon the episcopate and they had the privilege likewise of making Creeds and Forms of Prayer for their respective dioceses; for which reasons, cæteris paribus, this Creed ought rather to be ascribed to some bishop of that time than to an inferior presbyter. And who more

OF THE AUTHOR OF THE ATHANASIAN CREED. 163

likely to compose such a Creed than Hilary, Bishop of Arles, a celebrated man of that time, and of chief repute in the Gallican Church? His title to it will stand upon the following circumstances.

1. He was made bishop in Gaul within the time mentioned, about the year 429. 2. He is allowed to have been a man of great parts and capacity, of a neat wit and elegant style for the age he lived in; insomuch that Livius, a poet, and a celebrated writer of that time, did not scruple to say, that if Austin had come after Hilary, he would have been judged his inferior a. 3. Gennadius's character of Hilary's writings, that they were small Tracts, but extremely fine, suits well with our present supposition: but what most of all confirms and strengthens it, is what Honoratus of Marseilles, the writer of his life, tells us, that Hilary composed an admirable exposition [Symboli Expositio ambienda] of the Creed. He calls it an Exposition of the Creed (not a Creed), which is the proper title for

"Quid plura dicam? Nisi dicendi pausa desuper eidem advenisset, sermonem finire non potuerat, tanta gratia exundante, et miraculo et stupore crescente, ut peritissimis desperationem tunc autoribus sæculi ejus inferret oratio: in tantum ut Livius temporis illius poeta, et autor insignis, publice proclamaret; si Augustinus post te fuisset, judicaretur inferior." Honoratus, in Vita Sti. Hilarii, c. 11, in Leo, vol. i. p. 740. b"Ingenio vero immortali, aliqua et parva edidit, quæ eruditæ animæ, et fidelis linguæ indicia sunt; in quibus præcipua," &c.Gennad., Illustr. Vir. Catal., c. 71, p. 42.

с

"Gratia ejus ex his operibus, quæ eodem dicendi impetu concepit, genuit, ornavit, protulit, possit absque hæsitatione dignosci: vita scilicet antistitis Honorati, homiliæ in totius anni festivitatibus expeditæ, Symboli Expositio ambienda, epistolarum vero tantus numerus," &c.-Honorat., Vit. Hilar., c. 11, p.

740.

N. B. There is some doubt whether Ravennius of Arles, successor to Hilary, or Honoratus of Marseilles, be the author of this Life; but there is good reason to ascribe it to the latter. See Quesnel in Leo, vol. ii. p. 730; and Antelmius, de veris operibus Leon. M., p. 367.